Philosophical Inquiry
Classic and Contemporary Readings

Edited, with Introductions,
by Jonathan E. Adler and Catherine Z. Elgin

Welcome to the Philosophical Inquiry web site. Our book includes a range of important philosophical texts that span the areas that are typically covered in introductory philosophy courses. Hefty as the book is, we are well aware of the numerous valuable works left out. It is not possible to include everything, but we have tried to provide a representative selection.

There are many ways to use this text, and no way to complete it in a single semester. Doubtless, different instructors will assign different readings. Some of the readings could have been classified under different headings. Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy might fall under Philosophy of Mind. Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding includes sections on metaphysics and the philosophy of religion. So you should not be surprised or dismayed if your instructor organizes topics differently from the way we did.

On this web site, you will find:

Study questions about the readings

URLs to Web sites on studying philosophy

Table of Contents with links to additional relevant material

Multiple choice quizzes about the readings

We intend to expand the questions and URLs over time and with your comments.